Docking station for wireless communication device

ABSTRACT

A docking station for a wireless communications device includes a support structure that includes a cradle for the wireless telephone. The docking station includes a switch, sensor or other detection mechanism that detects when the wireless communication device is docked. When the wireless communication device is docked, the detection mechanism sends a signal to the wireless communication device. A set of instructions stored in the processor determines which display and which input to use, depending on whether or not the signal is received from the detection mechanism. Embodiments include a display, USB hub, and modem in the docking station. Another embodiment includes a USB connector in the wireless communication device. Finally, an embodiment of the invention includes a docking station with equivalent features for a cellular telephone or Personal Digital Assistant (PDA).

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application relates to, and claims benefit of, co-pendingU.S. patent application Ser. No.______, attorney docket number M-8783,filed on Jan. 26, 2001, entitled “Portable Cell Phone Docking System,”naming Christopher M. Jaggers and Robert L. McMahan as inventors andassigned to the same assignee as this application, the application beingincorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] The invention relates a docking station for wirelesscommunication devices and, more particularly, to technology forenhancing the capabilities of wireless communications devices, suchcellular or PCS telephones, so as to more closely approach thecapabilities of personal computers, especially as those capabilitiesrelate to enablement of Internet access or access to other sources ofdata or information.

[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0005] The personal computer (PC) industry is experiencing a change inthe manner in which PCs are used. During earlier stages in the rise ofPC popularity, PCs were primarily looked to for their computationalcapacity. Subsequently, word processing, spreadsheet, database andpresentation applications began to assume the forefront. Still morerecently, the PC has come to be seen as a communications device, and hasexperienced rapidly expanding use as a communications terminal fromwhich to send and receive electronic messages. Along these lines,consumer acquisitions of PC's have lately been stimulated by theobjective of using the PC simply as an appliance to access the Internet.In this mode, much of the embedded capability of the PC lies dormant,and PC users tend to become preoccupied with information transmissionbandwidth, rather than processing power or expandability.

[0006] Concurrently, the proliferation of wireless communicationsdevices, such as cellular telephones, has accelerated to the point thatcellular telephones appear ubiquitous and are predicted by some toultimately displace wired communications facilities. In fact, cellulartelephone sales now exceed sales of PCs by a margin of approximately 2to 1, and it is anticipated that this margin will expand.

[0007] As technology has evolved, cellular functionality has becomecorrespondingly more robust, and cellular phones now offer capabilitiesthat were once the exclusive province of PCs. In fact, some cellulartelephones now resemble small, low-end PCs with wireless access to datanetworks, including the Internet. Computers for organizing telephonenumbers and appointments are referred to as Personal Digital Assistants(PDAs). PDAs are also available with wireless access to the Internet.Ironically, many consumers are now believed to acquire cellulartelephones and other wireless communication devices merely as anInternet-access appliance.

[0008] Cellular telephones, hand-held computers, PDAs and other wirelesscommunication devices are burdened by a number of characteristics thatrender them substantially less than ideal for applications such asInternet access. Perhaps paramount among the shortcomings of wirelesscommunication devices and cellular telephones is the incommodious userinterface they present. Specifically, cellular telephones are often slowto access information from the Internet.

[0009] The Internet is a collection of interconnected computersproviding access to hundreds of millions of documents. These documentsare written in HyperText Markup Language, or HTML. HTML supportshypertext which allows a user to create a link in a Web page that allowsthe user to conveniently connect to another Web page. Connecting to aWeb page on a desktop or portable computer allows a user to view ordownload the web page. Many users also user and Internet connection tosupport access to email which quickly sends and receives text messagesand attachments.

[0010] Unlike desktop or portable computers, present-day cellulartelephones fail to include keyboards and printers. Also the display on awireless communication device is often much smaller than a display usedwith a conventional desktop or portable computer. The smaller displayand lack of other user interfaces renders cellular telephones and otherwireless communications devices unsuitable as an interface to all butthe most primitive sources of information from the Internet.

[0011] Co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No._______ , titled“Cellular Telephone Docking Station” filed on Jan. 26, 2001 on behalf ofthe same inventors, and assigned to the same assignee as thisapplication (and hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety)teaches a docking system that enables cellular telephones to operate asa convenient device for enabling the computing power available in acellular telephone without compromising the utility of the cellulartelephone as a portable communication device. But the pendingapplication does not teach a signal operative to determine the format ofa data stream in the wireless communication device. What is needed is asolution which enhances existing wireless communication devicecapabilities by utilizing capabilities and features available in thedocking station when the cellular telephone is docked. Preferably thesolution will promote the cellular telephone as a viable alternate tolow-end PCs that are primarily acquired for use as Internet-accessterminals.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0012] The above objects, advantages and capabilities are achieved inone aspect of the invention by a docking station for a wirelesscommunications device. The present invention teaches a docking stationfor a wireless communications device. The docking station includes asupport structure that includes a cradle for the wireless telephone. Thedocking station includes a switch, sensor or other detection mechanism.The detection mechanism detects when the wireless communication deviceis docked. When the wireless communication device is docked thedetection mechanism sends a signal to the wireless communication device.A set of instructions stored in the processor determines which displayto use and which input to use, depending on whether or not the signal isreceived from the detection mechanism. A connector provides connectionsto peripheral devices including a display, printer, monitor andkeyboard.

[0013] Embodiments include a display, USB hub, and modem in the dockingstation. Another embodiment includes a USB connector in the wirelesscommunication device. A video camera for video conferencing may also beinterfaced to the wireless communication device. An embodiment of theinvention teaches a docking station with similar features for a cellulartelephone or Personal Digital Assistant (PDA).

[0014] The foregoing is a summary and this contains, by necessity,simplifications, generalizations and omissions of detail; consequently,those skilled in the art will appreciate that the summary isillustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] The present invention may be better understood, and its numerousobjects, features, and advantages made apparent to those skilled in theart by referencing the accompanying drawings.

[0016]FIG. 1A is a block diagram of a wireless communication device anda docking station.

[0017]FIG. 1B is a block diagram of a wireless communication device anda docking station using a Universal Serial Bus connector and hub.

[0018]FIG. 1C is a block diagram of a wireless communication device anda docking station with a display larger than the docking station.

[0019]FIG. 1D is a block diagram of a wireless communication device anda docking station without a display.

[0020]FIG. 2 is a flow diagram depicting logical steps of softwareinstructions.

[0021]FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a wireless communication device,docking station and peripherals.

[0022]FIG. 4 is a line diagram depicting a network environment in whichthe present invention may operate.

[0023] The use of the same reference symbols in different drawingsindicates identical items unless otherwise noted.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] The following is intended to provide a detailed description of anexample of the invention and should not be take to be limiting of theinvention itself. Rather, any number of variations may fall with thescope of the invention defined in the claims following the description.FIG. 1 depicts a wireless communication device and docking station. Amechanism detects when the wireless communication device is docked. Themechanism sends a signal from the docking station to the wirelesscommunication device (WCD). The signal causes logic in the processor toaccept input from the wireless communication device (e.g. the keypad) orfrom peripherals associated with the docking station. The signal alsocauses logic in the processor to display output on the WCD display or adisplay associated with the docking station when appropriate. Typically,data is transmitted in either of two formats. Wireless applicationprotocol (WAP) is an example of a format typically used with cellulartelephones and other wireless devices.

[0025] The origin of WAP can traced to 1995 when a European cellulartelephone manufacturer began development of a protocol referred to asthe Intelligent Terminal Transfer Protocol (ITTP) to facilitate theaddition of services to cellular telephones. A corporation then-calledUnwired Planet, a predecessor of Smart Messaging, created a competingprotocol referred to as Handheld Device Markup Language. Althoughsimilar to HTML, HDLM was intended for use with devices with relativelysmall screens, such as hand-held computers, cellular telephones andPDAs. Thus, the objective of WAP is to provide users of hand-heldwireless communications access to the Internet. However, as previouslymentioned, a device downloading information from the Internet using WAPtypically incorporates a smaller display area. When a larger display isavailable HTTP protocol is typically used. An objective of the presentmethod is to provide an improved interface, including display, when aWCD is docked.

[0026] The wireless communication device 105 shown in FIG. 1A includescentral processing unit (CPU) 110. CPU 110 performs processing requiredto provide instructions to the input/output interface controller 120 andto memory 130. Memory 130 stores software instructions and can also be abuffer for CPU 110. Input/out (I/0) interface controller 120 receivesinstructions from CPU 110, receives signals from keypad 160, andexchanges instructions with CPU 110. I/O interface controller 120 returninformation required for CPU 110 to perform certain functions. I/Ointerface controller 120 is also coupled to and sends and receives datastreams to R/F transceiver 150. R/F transceiver 150 is coupled toantenna 155 which transmits and receives R/F signals. I/O interfacecontroller 120 also transmits a video output to display 140. Display 140can be of any commercially available type but is typically a liquidcrystal display (“LCD”). CPU 110 also sends and receives signals tomemory 130. Furthermore wireless communication device 105 comprisescharging circuit 170 that provides the power to the device and alsocharges battery 180.

[0027]FIG. 1A also depicts the components of docking station 175compatible with wireless communication device 105. Dock I/O interfacecontroller 182 sends and receives data from I/O interface controller 120in wireless communication device 105. Data can include video signals. Inan embodiment, video signals are be transmitted through connector 183.In an embodiment, connector 183 can be of a type known as a DigitalVideo Interface (DVI) connector. In another embodiment, video signalsare transmitted to the wireless communication device from a digitalvideo camera connected to the dock I/O interface controller 182. Inembodiment, data signals are transmitted from the dock to wirelesscommunication device 105 through USB connector 184. Mechanism 188detects when wireless communication device 105 is inserted into dockingstation 175 (i.e., is docked). When wireless communication device 105 isdocked, a signal is sent from mechanism 188 to I/O interface controller120. I/O interface controller 120 sends a corresponding signal (a dockdetect signal) to CPU 110. In an embodiment, power from dock I/Ointerface controller 182 is transmitted to wireless communication devicecharging circuit 170. In another embodiment, power is sent from dockingstation battery 190 to wireless communication device charging circuit170 through connection 189. Docking station charging circuit 191 isconnected to docking station battery 190. Docking station chargingcircuit 191 accepts external power and provides a DC power supply tobattery 190. Docking station battery 190 is coupled to, and providespower to, dock I/O interface 182, display 192 and USB hub 193.

[0028]FIG. 1B depicts use of two embodiments. Referring to FIG. 1B, DockI/O interface controller 182 sends video signals to display 192. DockI/O interface controller 182 is also coupled to USB Hub 193 (notpreviously shown). USB hub 193 is coupled to external I/O devices. In anembodiment, USB hub 193 is coupled to external I/O devices through anUSB connector. External I/O devices (not shown) keyboard, mouse, CD,floppy disk drive, camera, etc. In another embodiment USB connector 197is included in wireless communication device 105.

[0029]FIG. 1B also depicts an embodiment including modem. Dock I/Ointerface controller 182 is coupled to modem 194. Modem 194 serves as adata interface between dock I/O interface controller 182 and a wiredconnection. For example, the wired connection can communicate data to anInternet service provider as shown in FIG. 4. FIG. 1C depicts a wirelesscommunication device and a docking station with a display larger thanthe docking station. Under this scenario, data received from the dataconnection is displayed on the larger display in the docking station.FIG. 1D depicts a wireless communication device and a docking stationwithout a display. Under this scenario, a separate display is coupled tothe docking station as shown in FIG. 4.

[0030]FIG. 2 depicts the I/O interface controller 120 logic. As shown inevent 205, interface controller 120 detects if a dock-detect signal isreceived from mechanism 188. If I/O interface controller 120 is notreceiving a dock-detect signal, then wireless communication device 105receives WAP data from RF transceiver 150 and displays the data onwireless communication device display 140. If a dock-detect signal isreceived, then event 215 in I/O interface logic determines of an I/Ointerface device is connected to the dock. If no I/O interface device isconnected to the dock, then data is transferred from WCD keypad 165 andother I/O devices in event 220. If event 215 determines that I/O devicesare present in the dock, then data is transferred from dock I/Ointerface controller 182 in event 225.

[0031] Still referring to FIG. 2, at event 230, I/O interface controller120 logic determines if the dock display capabilities are greater thanor equal to the WCD display capabilities. If the dock displaycapabilities are less than WCD display capabilities, then logic 200determines if the dock is connected to an external data connection,event 250. If event 250 determines the dock is not connected to anexternal data connection, then event 255 directs WAP data from RFtransceiver 150 to WCD display 140. If event 250 determines the dock isconnected to an external data connection then event 260 directs WAP datafrom dock I/O interface controller 182 to WCD display 140.

[0032] Still referring to FIG. 2, if at event 230 I/O interfacecontroller 120 logic determines the dock display capabilities aregreater than or equal to the WCD display capabilities, then event 240determines if the dock is connected to external data connection 196. Ifevent 240 determines the dock is not connected to external data 196connection then HTTP data is sent from RF transceiver 150 to dockdisplay 192. If event 240 determines the dock is connected to anexternal data connection 196 then, HTTP data is sent from I/O interfacecontroller 182 dock display 192.

[0033]FIG. 3 depicts a wireless communication device 310 and dockingstation 320 corresponding to wireless communication device 105 anddocking station 175 shown in FIG. 1. Docking station 320 includessurface with cradle 315. FIG. 3 also depicts connections to video camera360, keyboard 330 and printer 350. Although only three peripheraldevices are shown, the system supports a plurality of peripheraldevices. Again wireless communication device 310 can be a cellulartelephone, PDA, hand-held computer or other wireless communicationdevice.

An Example Communication Network

[0034] When docked, the wireless communication device operates in anetwork environment similar to a conventional laptop or desktop personalcomputer system. An example of a typical conventional Internetconnection is shown in FIG. 4. Wireless communication device 105 dockedin docking station 175 constitutes a wireless communication system 430.Wireless communication system 430 executes an application program knownas a web browser 414. Wireless communication system 430 establishes acommunication link 416 with web server (ISP) 418. Communication link 416may be effected as a dial-up wired connection with a modem, a directlink (such as a T1, ISDN or DSL line), or a wireless connection througha cellular or satellite network. When the user enters a request forinformation by entering commands in web browser 414, wirelesscommunication system 430 sends a request for information, such as asearch for documents pertaining to a specified topic, or a specific webpage to web server 418. Each web server 418, 420, 422, 424 connected tothe Internet has a known address which the user must supply to the webbrowser 414 in order to connect to the appropriate web server 418, 420,422, or 424. If the information is available on the user's web server418, a central link such as backbone 426 allows web servers 418, 420,422, 424 to communicate with one another to supply the requestedinformation. Web server 418 services requests for the information andreceives information from (or transmits information to) wirelesscommunication system 430.

[0035] One skilled in the art will recognize that the foregoingcomponents and devices are used as examples for sake of conceptualclarity and that various configuration modifications are common. Forexample the Internet (a global public TCP/IP based communicationnetwork) has been used as an example of a network. However, the presentinvention is applicable to networks other than the Internet. Forexample, the apparatus taught is applicable to internal corporatenetworks (intranets), extensions of intranets to allow outside access(extranets) and private networks such as virtual private networks (VPN).Also, a wireless communication device is used to denote communicationsdevices include cellular telephones, personal digital assistants (PDAs)and personal computers. In general, use of any specific exemplar hereinis also intended to be representative of its class and the non-inclusionof such specific devices in the foregoing list should not be taken asindicating that limitation is desired.

[0036] While particular embodiments of the present invention have beenshown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the artthat, based upon the teachings herein, changes and modifications may bemade without departing from this invention and its broader aspects, andtherefore, the appended claims are to encompass within their scope allsuch changes, modifications and equivalents as are within the truespirit and scope of this invention. Furthermore, it is to be understoodthat the invention is solely defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A docking system for a wireless communicationdevice, the docking system comprising: a docking station, the dockingstation further comprising: a support structure including a firstsurface on which is disposed a cradle, the support structure furthercomprising: a detector mechanism, the detector mechanism detecting whenthe wireless communication device is docked in the docking station, thedetector mechanism sending a signal to the wireless communication devicewhen the wireless communication device is docked, the signal operativeto determine the format of a wireless data stream in a wirelesscommunication device.
 2. The docking system as recited in claim 1,wherein the docking station further comprises a dock display.
 3. Thedocking system as recited in claim 2, wherein the set of instructionsstored in the memory of the wireless communication device causes thewireless communication device to display a first data stream the dockdisplay when the wireless communication device is docked.
 4. The dockingsystem as recited in claim 2, wherein the set of instructions stored inthe memory of the wireless communication device causes the wirelesscommunication device to display the first data stream and a second datastream on the dock display when the wireless communication device isdocked.
 5. The docking system for a wireless communication device asrecited in claim 4, wherein the first data stream is a WirelessApplication Protocol (WAP) data stream.
 6. The docking system for awireless communication device as recited in claim 4, wherein the seconddata stream is Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP).
 7. The docking systemfor a wireless communication device as recited in claim 1, wherein thewireless communication device is a cellular telephone.
 8. The dockingsystem for a wireless communication device as recited in claim 1,wherein the wireless communication device is a personal digitalassistant (PDA).
 9. The docking system for a wireless communicationdevice as recited in claim 1, wherein the wireless communication deviceis a personal computer.
 10. The docking system for a wirelesscommunication device as recited in claim 1, wherein the docking stationfurther comprises a connector, the connector coupling the dockingstation to the wireless communication device.
 11. The docking system fora wireless communication device as recited in claim 10, wherein theconnector is a Universal Serial Bus (USB) connector, wherein the USBconnector electrically couples the docking station to the wirelesscommunication device.
 12. The docking system for a wirelesscommunication device as recited in claim 10, further comprising: akeyboard, wherein the keyboard is electrically coupled to the dockingstation.
 13. The docking system for a wireless communication device asrecited in claim 10, further comprising: a video camera, wherein thevideo camera is electrically coupled to the docking station.
 14. Thedocking system for a wireless communication device as recited in claim10, further comprising: a printer, wherein the printer is electricallycoupled to the docking station.
 15. The docking system for a wirelesscommunication device as recited in claim 10, further comprising: afloppy disk drive, wherein the floppy disk drive is electrically coupledto the docking station.
 16. The docking system for a wirelesscommunication device as recited in claim 15, wherein the data connectionis a connection to the Internet.
 17. The docking system for a wirelesscommunication device as recited in claim 1, wherein the docking stationfurther comprises: a connector, wherein the connector couples thedocking station to a data connection, wherein the data connectionprovides data to and receives data from the wireless communicationdevice when the wireless communication device is docked.
 18. The dockingsystem for a wireless communication device as recited in claim 1,wherein the docking station further comprising a modem.
 19. The dockingsystem for a wireless communication device as recited in claim 18,wherein the modem is coupled to a data connection, wherein the dataconnection is coupled to the Internet.
 20. The docking system for awireless communication device as recited in claim 1, wherein the dockingstation further comprises: a dock I/O interface controller.
 21. Thedocking system for a wireless communication device as recited in claim1, wherein the docking station further comprises: a battery.
 22. Thedocking system for a wireless communication device as recited in claim1, wherein the docking station further comprises: a charging circuit.23. The docking system for a wireless communication device as recited inclaim 1, wherein the wireless communication device further comprises: anI/O interface controller.
 24. The docking system for a wirelesscommunication device as recited in claim 1, wherein the wirelesscommunication device further comprises: a key pad.
 25. The dockingsystem for a wireless communication device as recited in claim 1,wherein the wireless communication device further comprises: a battery.26. The docking system for a wireless communication device as recited inclaim 1, wherein the wireless communication device further comprises: acharging circuit.
 27. A docking system for a wireless communicationdevice, the docking system comprising: a docking station, the dockingstation further comprising: a support structure including a firstsurface on which is disposed a cradle, the support structure furthercomprising: means for detecting when the wireless communication deviceis docked in the docking station; means for sending a signal to thewireless communication device when the wireless communication device isdocked; a wireless communication device, the wireless communicationdevice receiving a signal from the detector mechanism when the wirelesscommunication device is docked in the docking station, the wirelesscommunication device further comprising: an RF transceiver; a display; anon-volatile memory, the non-volatile memory storing a set ofinstructions; and a processor, wherein the processor executesinstructions stored on the memory.
 28. The docking system for a wirelesscommunication device, the docking station further comprising: means fordisplaying data.
 29. A method of operating a wireless communicationdevice, comprising: coupling the wireless communication device to adocking station; coupling the docking station to a data network, thedocking station receiving data from the data network, the dockingstation transmitting the data to the wireless communication device; anddisplaying a first data stream on a first display, the first displayelectrically coupled to the docking station.
 30. The method as recitedin claim 29, wherein the first data stream is received from the datanetwork.
 31. The method as recited in claim 29, wherein the first datastream is a stream of HTML data.
 32. The method as recited in claim 29,further comprising: displaying a second data stream on a second display,the second display smaller than the first display.
 33. The method asrecited in claim 32, wherein the second data stream is data in WirelessApplication Protocol.
 34. A method of receiving information from a datanetwork, comprising: coupling a wireless communication device to adocking station; coupling the docking station to a data network, thedocking station receiving data from the data network, the dockingstation transmitting the data to the wireless communication device; anddisplaying data on a first display, the first display electricallycoupled to the docking station.
 35. The method as recited in claim 34,further comprising: displaying data on a second display, the secondsmaller than the first display.
 36. A docking system for a WCD, thedocking system comprising: a docking detector for detecting when the WCDis docked at the docking system and sending a DOCK_DET signal to the WCDwhen the WCD is docked; an interface controller having an input forreceiving a video signal from the WCD and having a port for receivingdata from and transmitting data to the WCD; a display coupled to theinterface controller; a battery having a first output coupled to theinterface controller and a second output for coupling to the WCD; a USBhub coupled to the interface controller for coupling the interfacecontroller to a peripheral device; and a modem coupled to the interfacecontroller for coupling the interface controller to a communicationslink.
 37. A method of operating a wireless communications device at adocking station, the method comprising: detecting whether a WCD isdocked; determining that an I/O device is connected to the dockingstation and transferring data from a docking station interfacecontroller; determining that the locking station display capabilitiesare preferable to the display capabilities of the WCD; and determiningwhether the docking station is connected to an external data connection.38. A method as defined in claim 37, wherein HTTP data is received fromthe docking station I/O interface controller when a determination ismade that the docking station is connected to an external dataconnection.
 39. A method as defined in claim 37, wherein HTTP data isdirected from the WCD to the docking station display when adetermination is made that the docking station is not connected to anexternal data connection.
 40. A docking system for a wirelesscommunication device, the docking system comprising: a docking station,the docking station further comprising: a support structure including afirst surface on which is disposed a cradle, the support structurefurther comprising: a detector mechanism, the detector mechanismdetecting when the wireless communication device is docked in thedocking station, the detector mechanism sending a signal when thewireless communication device is docked, the signal operative todetermine the format of a wireless data stream in a wirelesscommunication device; a wireless communication device, the wirelesscommunication device receiving a signal from the detector mechanism whenthe wireless communication device is docked in the docking station, thewireless communication device further comprising: an RF transceiver; adisplay; a non-volatile memory, the non-volatile memory storing a set ofinstructions; and a processor, wherein the processor executesinstructions stored on the memory.